Barrel lifter



Feb. 18, 1947. c, H. MICKENNIA 2 1 I v BARREL LIFTER Filed Sept; 11, 1945 v INVENTOR GHHRLES H. M Key/v4 atented Feb. 18, 1947 BARREL LIFTER.

Charles H. McKenna, Bufialo, N.- Y,; Anna 1).

McKenna administratrix McKenna, deceased of said Charles H I Application September 11,1945, ScrialiNor 61 558 1 Claim.

This invention relates to hand tools of the type sometimes referred to as barrel or drum lifters.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a tool of the character described which is adapted to be of improved convenience: when in invention will appear from the specification here inafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates a barrel lifter of the invention in action at the beginnin of a barrel upending operation;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the tool of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a detail of a modified form of the tool stirrup, illustrating its mounting relative to a drum. I

The drawing illustrates in Fig. 1 a cask or barrel it] in process of being up-ended by means of a hand tool of the invention. In this embodiment of the invention the tool comprises a handle or shaft portion [2 which is formed of metal tubing or the like. At its barrel engaging end portion the shaft i2 is fitted with a collar or cap it; and intermediately of the shaft ends a pair of barrel edge engaging brackets are welded or otherwise positionally fixed upon the shaft i2, as indicated at l6l 8, respectively.

The bracket I6 is illustrated to comprise a short section of angle iron slipfitted upon the shaft i2 and welded or otherwise fixed thereto so as to dispose the fiat flange portion 2b thereof to extend parallel to the shaft [2. The bracket [3 is similarly formed of metal to include a flange portion 22 extending generally parallel to the shaft 52; but the bracket l8 also includes a second and oppositely extending arm having a second flange 24 extending parallel to the flange 2.2

but in diametrically opposed relation therewith and with respect to the shaft l2.

The shaft I2 is bowed, as by being bent between the positions of the end collar [4 and the bracket l8 so that the handle portion of the tool which extends beyond the barrel or drum when applied thereto inclines away from the longitudinal axis of the barrel. A stirrup as indi-- mounted-upon the shaft l2 and an arcuately shaped. bar-'28 welded thereto is mounted by the collar to b'e-rfr'eely rotatable upon the shaft l2 and slidable thereon between the positions of the end collar it and the lift bracket 95. The bar 26 iscurved so-as'to permit it to straddle and bear against the curved mid-section surface por-. tion of a barrel when the tool of the invention is applied to such barrel as illustrated in Fig. l with either one of the lift brackets it-lt disposed so as to engage its flanged end under the barrel edge caused by extension of the barrel side wall beyond the end wall thereof.

Thus, it will be appreciated that when the tool is So applied to a barrel or drum when the latter is in horizontal reclining position the handle portion of the tool will be disposed to extend generally horizontally but somewhat downwardly away from the barrel, whereby the operator may grasp the handle portion with ease and lift thereagainst so as to apply an effective lifting and tilting 1everage against the barrel or drum so as to bring it into upended position. The inclined attitude of the handle of the tool especially facilitates the final phase of the upending operation because the handle portion of the tool is thereupon inclined toward the operator instead of projecting straight vertically, thereby requiring a lesser reach of the operators arms.

The bent formation of the shaft l2 and the rotatable nature of the bearing connection between the stirrup 25 and the shaft I2 also provides further convenience and facility in connection with the down-turning or lowering of a previously up-ended barrel into a horizontal reclining position. For this purpose the stirrup is simply rotated through -up0n the shaft 52 relative to the position thereof illustrated by Fig. 1 and then disposed to rest against the mid-section of the vertically standing barrel. The shaft l2 will be thereby disposed to extend generally ver- 7 tically along the side of the barrel to as far as the position of the bracket l3 thereof, whereupon the flange portion 2d of the bracket l8 hooks over the adjacent end lip of the barrel while the handle portion of the shaft [2 extends therefrom in a direction vertically and obliquely away from the direction of the longitudinal extension of the barrel. Thus, the handle portion of the tool is again disposed in a position providing for maxi mum convenience and ease of use of the tool; the handle being thereupon simply pulled by the operator so as to drag the barrel over sufficiently 3 to start it to fall into a horizontal reclining attitude.

As shown in Fig. 4, the stirrup 26 may be formed to present a pair of downwardly extending ledges 2828 which are adapted to straddle the hoop portion I I of the drum, whereby the stirrup will be anchored upon the hoop to furtherfacilitate operation of the tool.

It will be appreciated that the combination of the bent formation of the shaft (2 and the provision of the rotatable stirrup 25 thereon permits the operator to swivel the tool to various adjusted positions whereby to more conveniently engage barrels under various handling conditions; and that this feature of the invention is attained through use of only structurally simple and rugged parts such as may be relatively easilyand inexpensively manufactured and assembled to provide a tool which is fool-proof in its operation.

It will also be understood that although only one form of the tool of the invention has been shown and described in detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit sitions of said stirrup of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A hand tool of the barrel lifter type comprising a hand shaft mounting at one end a rotatable stirrup for engaging a side surface of a barrel, a pair of hook brackets extending from said hand shaft at positions spaced from said stirrup for engaging behind an end edge portion of the barrel to be lifted, said hand shaft having a handle portion extending beyond the positions of said brackets and obliquely of the direction of extension of said hand shaft between the poand said brackets.

CHARLES H. MoKENNA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Sigsbee May 21, 1929 

